Although Hispanic students have made important educational gains in the past two decades, their high school dropout rate remains a cause for concern. With the exception of Native Americans, Hispanic students have the highest dropout rate of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. The risk factors for dropping out of high school, e.g., poverty, limited English language proficiency, and work or family responsibilities, are all prevalent in the Hispanic population.
Hispanics in the United States are a diverse population group. The term "Hispanic" is generally applied to those whose origin or country of ancestry is Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain or the Spanish-speaking countries in South America, Central America, or the Caribbean. Also included in the term "Hispanic" are people of mixed Hispanic heritage. The major Hispanic subgroups--Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans--are concentrated in different parts of the United States.
One of the chief sources of information regarding the undereducation of youth is the population survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, which estimates the dropout rates for 16- to 24-year-olds. The rate includes all in this age group who have not completed high school and are not currently enrolled in regular or adult high school classes. The 1990 U.S. Census estimated the dropout rate for Hispanic youth at 30 percent. In comparison, the dropout rate for non-Hispanic blacks was 18 percent and 10 percent for non-Hispanic whites. The dropout rate for Hispanics has been relatively consistent for the past two decades: " . . . while overall dropout rates in recent years have declined, Hispanic dropout rates have not been falling. These high rates are particularly troubling in light of the growing proportion of Hispanics in the population and the relatively young age of the Hispanic population" (U.S. Department of Education, 1993, p. 24).
Dropout rates among Hispan...